Daniel Craig dresses in drag to promote gender equality

[Venus Blessed]

http://www.popeater.com/2011/03/07/video-daniel-craig-drag/

[biguycancun]

A message well stated (and he looks pretty hot, too).

[raistkit]

one word awesome .

kit

[Cherokee_Mountaincat]

Mmmmm. Nummie either way he goes...;)
Cat

[djones]

I certainly find him far more attractive as a man - but I am glad he (and Judy Dench) did this video.

[DuckiesDarling]

Daniel Craig is just yummy any way you look at it, but it's great to see him promoting gender equality. And DJ, yep I do believe that is Dame Judi Dench doing the voiceover.


Thanks for posting this, it was a very important video.

[Realist]

Daniel is a cool guy, but I'm sorry, in my opinion he's one ugly woman!

[void()]

Daniel is a cool guy, but I'm sorry, in my opinion he's one ugly woman!

I concur and pass the motion that he's one guy that needs to stay a guy. All in favor raise your triceratops foot print stamper into the air.

Void wanders off to find his, knowing he may have left it over by the plasma cutter/welder when he ... censored ... and ... bleeped ... .

[gfofbiguy]

I prefer him as a male, but I'm glad he's doing this to promote gender equality of ALL genders

[tenni]

I watched the video twice. I found that the message was mixed. It used British statistics and then switched to what is probably international statistics. I doubt that girls are raped on the way to school in Britain? That is more likely in other countries.

Although the essence of the message is worth being repeated, I'm not sure how successful such attempts are. There are economic inequalities still in western countries and being reminded of them is important. Equality and what areas that people wish to see equality continues to be a worth while point of discussion. It does tend to give me a knee jerk reaction though. Is its goal to lay feelings of guilt on to one gender?

As far as the actor is concerned, it seems to distract from the message as noted in the area of discussion of this thread.

[sammie19]

I watched the video twice. I found that the message was mixed. It used British statistics and then switched to what is probably international statistics. I doubt that girls are raped on the way to school in Britain? That is more likely in other countries.



Girls are raped both going to and coming home from school in this country. They are murdered, and they disappear. Girls are raped murdered, assaulted and disappear while going to and from all sorts of places. This country may not be the worst, but it happens far too often. What makes you think we are any different from any other country?

[tenni]

"sixty million are assaulted on their way to school" with no reference as to Britain or the world.(previous sentence mentioned the world though)

later near the end of the video, she references the UK again by stating " every week in the UK two women are killed by a current or former partner"

As I wrote, there is a bit of ambiguity as to whether she is speaking about Britain or the world when stats are given. Maybe others didn't experience this though.

[BiPhone]

isn't there murmlings about him being bisexual? He supposedly kissed a guy outside a gay bar and he has stated he would want james bond to be bisexual (doubt the writers and producers agree). Would be great to have James Bond on our team. Doubt he would ever come out though.
He is really hot (as male)

[lizard-lix]

I'll take him/her either way and gold stars for 'coming out' for the ad

[_Joe_]

This sure adds more to that interview when he said it was time for James Bond to have a gay scene.

[DuckiesDarling]

This sure adds more to that interview when he said it was time for James Bond to have a gay scene.

If you actually read the Ian Fleming books it is clear the character would and could do anything to get the mission done, including seducing men. Not that he ever actually wrote a scene in there, but the fact the character was prepared to do so was interesting to me. Whether Daniel Craig is or isn't will be known eventually, but his comment on James Bond was relevant to the climate we find ourselves in where more and more people are coming out as bisexual.

I think he was an interesting choice for this video, both because he is so much a "man's man" after his reinvention of Bond but because it shows that he truly cares about women's rights.

[Darkside2009]

Well, I've read all the Fleming, Bond novels too and Fleming's biography, nowhere does it suggest that Bond was bisexual. It portrays Bond as ruthless with a sadistic streak, somewhat of a snob, an echo of Fleming's own character.

Fleming had a sadistic relationship with his own wife, and was rather irritated that she and her intellectual friends, would not take his literary success seriously. The character of Bond is supposed to be based on a person that Fleming met whilst serving in Admiralty Intelligence during the Second World War.

The idea of Bond being bisexual was a throw away line, Craig gave in a magazine interview some years back when he was new to the part and trying to broaden his appeal against the many who thought him the wrong choice to play the character of Bond.

I still think he was the wrong choice for Bond, although he has undoubted acting ability, as evidenced in the film,'Layer Cake' To me when he smiles he just looks like a Halloween turnip/pumpkin lantern that kids carry around with them on that night.

Is Craig dressing in drag likely to promote gender equality? I honestly wouldn't have thought so, what it might do is lose him a great many fans who will no longer be able to take his portrayal of Bond seriously.

[void()]

The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.
-- Oscar Wilde

[darkeyes]

"sixty million are assaulted on their way to school" with no reference as to Britain or the world.(previous sentence mentioned the world though)

later near the end of the video, she references the UK again by stating " every week in the UK two women are killed by a current or former partner"

As I wrote, there is a bit of ambiguity as to whether she is speaking about Britain or the world when stats are given. Maybe others didn't experience this though.

If u care 2 watch it and listen 2 it more carefully, tenni me luffly, u will find that there is NO ambiguity wotsoeva...

[darkeyes]

Is Craig dressing in drag likely to promote gender equality? I honestly wouldn't have thought so, what it might do is lose him a great many fans who will no longer be able to take his portrayal of Bond seriously.

All the dross 'bout whether Craig is bisexual or whatever.. it is just that.. dross.. and is unimportant.. but u ask the right question here.. does it promote gender equality? Here we differ. Yes it does.. merely by what it says and shows.. will it have a huge effect? Not really.. but just as one single small act often has little effect in terms of a whole campaign, it is but a usueful addition to everything else which is being done to foster gender equality.. it is aimed at a particular group of people and if but one gets the message then it is worthwhile..

.. and I doubt it will lose him any fans.. if he conducted himself like Mel Gibson, that may lose him fans but not doing something such as this..

[Katja]

I agree with darkeyes. The message is positive and therefore by definition promotes the principle of gender equality. How effective a message it is can be debated, but I think it both very well done and remarkably effective for such a short and simple film.

In this country gender inequality is becoming more marked, and government cuts are affecting women far more than men. Job losses for women are far higher, women are finding it more difficult to find employment, and that which they can find is much more likely to be low paid, partime and insecure than for men, pay is being held back more and on top of that changes in tax and tax credits are reducing take home pay for women to a much greater extent than for men, career prospects for women are being held back increasingly more than for men, and women find it more difficult to begin new businesses, obtain mortgages or loans than do men. Government policies are exacerbating all of this, in my opinion quite deliberately.

Like darkeyes, I also agree that while the message is positive, it will never change the world by itself, and must be linked to a much greater more widespread campaign to promote women's rights and the end of gender discrimination. Unfortunately, I do not see an sign of such a thing.

[darkeyes]

..thing is Katja babes.. read this thread alone ya can c wy ther is no real campaign.. most guys dont give 2 hoots bout gender equality.. I dont say all, cos on this site ther r a lot who do an r on our side.. a lot who do cos they think we r takin ova the world an think we shud b taken down a peg or 2... just like ther r in society at large here an abroad.. wos called bitter an twisted this mornin in midst of a lil barney at work bout this very subject.. an wy? Cos I took issue with some guy who tried 2 tell me that women's equality had been gained decades ago an we shud begin 2 redress what has becum an imbalance in gender equality.... an I told 'im that women gettin the vote and an equal pay act an havin equal standing in law didnt mean women had equality... parliaments can pass an act 2 say we are all martians.. dusn mean it is the case...:) ya still havta get the message filtered down through 2 people... an not only 2 men.. cos ther r a lotta women who r their own worst enemies an all...

Am not a gr8 fan of Daniel Craig must admit.. as an actor I think he is shall we say, ratha limited.. but as a human being he has gone rite up me estimation by doin summat just as simple as makin one lil piece of film..

[tenni]

If u care 2 watch it and listen 2 it more carefully, tenni me luffly, u will find that there is NO ambiguity wotsoeva...

Uh...darkeyes
Sorry but I see ambiguity but then as a mere "lesser mortal"(now there is a sexist statement for ya luffly) I can not fathom what a woman can:tong:.


Katja ;)
What was positive about the message?
I'm just a lesser mortal and speak/understand malespeak.:eek:

The message was was clearly negative in the sense that it points out what is still wrong with equality issues.

A positive message would point out how much has happened to equalize gender equality over say the past fifty to one hundred years or whatever time period....pfft.

[Katja]

It was positive because by outllining some of the gender inequalities and discriminations it is about wakening up people to get those inequalities addressed. The message was not pro discrimination against women. That would have been negative, unless you are of the opinion that the retention of discrimination and gender inequality is positive and a good thing and proper thing. Or is that too much for you to comprehend?

[darkeyes]

It was positive because by outllining some of the gender inequalities and discriminations it is about wakening up people to get those inequalities addressed. The message was not pro discrimination against women. That would have been negative, unless you are of the opinion that the retention of discrimination and gender inequality is positive and a good thing and proper thing. Or is that too much for you to comprehend?

God, girl.. that wos an incredibly tortuous way 2 put it.. tee hee..:tong:

..an tenni me luffly.. the trouble wiv so many lesser mortals, is that they think themselves ne thin but... no bad thing in itsel'.. except for those who think they r God's gifts, have the societal advantanges of being male, and wish things 2 stay that way, deny discrimination exists an' wud, given half a chance, widen the gap... an' of those ther r bloody millions.. :(

..and many tenni me luffly.. who wud undo the gains of the last few decades an have us returned 2 the kitchen sink and as mere chattels for ther personal use an abuse...

[69luvr]

A message well stated (and he looks pretty hot, too).

He made me salivate!

[Darkside2009]

Personally, I couldn't care less if Craig is bisexual. The point I was making is that the message got lost in the production. Most posts were about his appearance and whether or not he looked attractive.

If he had simply appeared as himself and read the information to camera it might have had more effect, people might have listened more to the message. Similarly if Judi Dench had appeared as herself and read to camera.

The whole of the short film just reminded me of one of those awful adverts for cars, where they show the car from every angle, trying to project a life-style instead of just supplying the information any sensible car buyer needs, i.e., miles per gallon, cost of road tax, insurance, reliability, average cost of repairs etc.

To me he just looks like a night-club bouncer, seeing him in drag, well he just looked like a night club bouncer in drag. As to the statistics, I would have liked to know the source they came from.

If they felt the need to film it this way, which obviously the producers did, they might have had more of an effect using Lily Savage, ( For those on the other side of the Pond, Lily Savage is the persona of a Gay male comedian from Liverpool, who dressed atrociously as a woman but who was none the less very funny. He has since retired the persona and now has his own, very boring, talk show on tv.

Like Craig in this instance, by stepping outside the persona the message got lost.

[darkeyes]

Personally, I couldn't care less if Craig is bisexual. The point I was making is that the message got lost in the production. Most posts were about his appearance and whether or not he looked attractive.

If he had simply appeared as himself and read the information to camera it might have had more effect, people might have listened more to the message. Similarly if Judi Dench had appeared as herself and read to camera.

The whole of the short film just reminded me of one of those awful adverts for cars, where they show the car from every angle, trying to project a life-style instead of just supplying the information any sensible car buyer needs, i.e., miles per gallon, cost of road tax, insurance, reliability, average cost of repairs etc.

To me he just looks like a night-club bouncer, seeing him in drag, well he just looked like a night club bouncer in drag. As to the statistics, I would have liked to know the source they came from.

If they felt the need to film it this way, which obviously the producers did, they might have had more of an effect using Lily Savage, ( For those on the other side of the Pond, Lily Savage is the persona of a Gay male comedian from Liverpool, who dressed atrociously as a woman but who was none the less very funny. He has since retired the persona and now has his own, very boring, talk show on tv.

Like Craig in this instance, by stepping outside the persona the message got lost.

Bisexuality is not the point of the vid. I agree with you entirely on that. As to it's effectiveness there we do disagree.. it has actually been quite the talking point among school kids and if some poo poo it (more often lads, but some girls too) others have taken its message to heart or at the very least given them food for thought.. and THAT is the point..

..the point of having Craig in his Bond persona suddenly wrapped in drag really needs no explanation.. to say Lily Savage would more effectively get the message accross is simply not so.. I hesitate to say stupid.. but silly to say the least.. then people would not be able to take it seriously... Lily savage is also a pretty atrociously dressed "woman" but Paul o' Grady is no mysoginist as is the Bond character and no man's man like Daniel Craig, but a gay man and people's knowledge of that simple point would detract from the message.

No it will not change the world but it will and is making some people think... it is done in the way it is done like those silly car ads of which you speak.. to get to a target audience.. you may not like the ad's about cars just like you do not like this little vid... but each has its target audience.. sometimes they work sometimes they dont.. I happen to think in this instance it does, and the fact that some kids are talking about it in a positive manner proves my point to me...

[tenni]

Although I found your term "lesser mortals" very funny due to your writing style, it is sexist and an insult to men.... me luffly "goddess", darkeyes. You place yourself in a position of superiority to defend attacks on statements accusing women's inferiority. You should not think that by using offensive language that "just because" you are a woman you are justified any more than a man making statements derogatory to women. This is particularly in need of pointing out to you Fran when you enter into discussions/ arguments about the injustices towards women. It just doesn't work for me. It seems to work for you and you feel justified in using sexists slurs. By doing so are you not stepping down into the mud with the pigs?

"Equally" so any promotion pointing out inequality is not positive. That is not to write that it is not worth doing to rectify an injustice. It just isn't positive and I do not see any argument to say so as worth it. Perhaps darkeyes or Katja will write what has improved for women in the past fifty years? What gains have been made or is it futile to do so? Are there any?


God, girl.. that wos an incredibly tortuous way 2 put it.. tee hee..:tong:

..an tenni me luffly.. the trouble wiv so many lesser mortals, is that they think themselves ne thin but... no bad thing in itsel'.. except for those who think they r God's gifts, have the societal advantanges of being male, and wish things 2 stay that way, deny discrimination exists an' wud, given half a chance, widen the gap... an' of those ther r bloody millions.. :(

..and many tenni me luffly.. who wud undo the gains of the last few decades an have us returned 2 the kitchen sink and as mere chattels for ther personal use an abuse...

[darkeyes]

I'm sorry u dont like the term "lesser mortals" much tenni.. is life.. it is neither meant as a true reflection of how I see men or is it meant as a deliberate insult.. its bit of fun between me as a woman and you lot as men.. sexist? Yes very probably if it was meant as a true expression of my feelings.. arguably when taken as a jest.. but you raised it on this thread not me.. I call Curio "Goat face", chook ole "upside down head", CSRA Kate "Mumsie" me dad an "ole goat", me m8s "tarts" an otha peeps many epithets not out of an intention to insult, but as a gud natured banter tween friends.. I call my partner Naggy Knickers and refer 2 her an otha friends as "cow"... what does that show that tenni? O well seems I was wrong an gud natured banter is summat which shud b banned.... a thin skin is a terrible thing.. spesh since the worst of epithets are more generally aimed at women in our world.. an not always as a term of endearment..

.. but the thread isnt about gains women have made over however long.. it is about the fact that to make true gender equality a fact in our society we have a long way to go.. that is what the vid is about.. not what we have gained.. but what we still have to do.. just like gay and bisexual people still have many gains to make and attitudes to change to gain equality with the straight world, so do women before we obtain true gender equality.. so for now I wont take up your invite to outline gains women have made over the last 50 or any other number of years.. that is not the point of the thread.. suffice to say there have been gains.. we are, in theory and legally, equal to men in western society.. but theory and legality does not mean reality..

[tenni]

darkeyes
As I wrote, I did and do find your use of language funny and it does point out to me the double standard that you are using though. As I have also pointed out that you must be brought to task that you are using sexist language and there is a certain inappropriateness to "lesser mortal" and then attempting to point out injustices. It doesn't work luffly no matter how you attempt to rationalize it.

Choosing not to point out the gains of women is interesting and again your choice to state that it is off topic. It is in fact on topic but we are batting up against each other. Just as men have perspectives differing from women on many things there probably can not be equality unless you specifcy what areas that equality may happen and what is not possible. Anatomically, women differ from men. Just as the recent published thread on bi inbalance points out the injustices of lumping bisexuals with gay/lesbians and assuming that if you give GL certain gains that it is meeting the needs of bisexuals is an incorrect approach, "true" equality is not logical or possible unless all women become men or vice versa.

However I can see economic injustices as an area for equality between men and women working in the same job. Personal safety may be another area but I may be selecting the wrong word. The ad points out areas of inequality and that is good. Inequality exists within the legal system against men as far as child custody is concerned but that is not an area of your concern when you state "true equality"? You might say that is off topic...lol

[12voltman59]

This story kind of goes along with this thread: http://www.alternet.org/reproductivejustice/150199/what_kind_of_sick_culture_blames_an_11-year-old_for_being_gang-raped/

Do go and read the stories that appeared in the NY Times and Houston paper too---it does seem that the articles basically place more of the "blame" for this rape on the girl over the men and boys who did it!!

Sad stuff this!!!!

[tenni]

Well, I don't think that it is fair to state that darkeyes intentionally meant to be nasty or that it is because of her sexuality that she has chosen such a term. Only she can decide but she should be aware of its impact when commenting on other gender based inequalities within society. As darkeyes states it is her humour to affectionately use language that may also be seen as derogatory regardless of the gender of her "victim ;). I think that it generally comes across as affectionate to me. Guys frequently use put downs as a form of male humour between male friends. The other guy knows the boundary and finds the put down a sign of affection(ya we guys are weird that way..lol). I find it inappropriate to say that she uses such language because she is a lesbian. That also seems a bit too general a negative bias. Right or wrong, it is because she is darkeyes and not her sexuality...imo

There are sexist statements from men about women that I also find funny but I suck is correct that if a man uses them, certain people will challenge them. Just as there is no such thing as reverse discrimination, there is only discrimination; there is sexist language regardless of the gender of the person making sexist comments or which gender that they are about. With each sexist statement , there may be a grain of truth if we find it funny...but it is still sexist. I'm not sure if you can demand equality and make these statements. There may be no such possibility to have "true equality" just cuz we are men and women...we are not the same gender, the same level of intelligence, the same economic situation even within our own gender. We can however point out inequalities including such sexist statements.

Rape is disgusting regardless of the gender of the rape victim.


Of course it's somehow socially acceptable or excusable for women especially lesbians to be completely misandrist, yet if a man posts something calling her out on this he's branded a misogynist. :rolleyes:

[darkeyes]

Of course it's somehow socially acceptable or excusable for women especially lesbians to be completely misandrist and claim that they're just joking when they're really not, yet if a man posts something calling her out on this or a joke about a woman he's branded a misogynist. :rolleyes:

*laffs* fine hun.. enjoy ya moment of glory..;)

[darkeyes]

Like most wannabe armchair comedians and armchair writers she likes to pretend she actually has humor, wit, and merit when everything she writes is akin to a teenager texting on a cellphone and nonsense babytalk, and she's not knowledgeable at all about the subjects she comments on and tries to write about.

Moving on, I agree with the poster that said how people are focusing way more on Daniel Craig tarting up as a "woman" than on any notion of "equality".

I dont pretend to have humour, wit or ne thin else.. I try to use them no moren that.. it is up 2 otha peeps wetha or not this child an 'er childish textin is humorous or not...

[Darkside2009]

... the fact that some kids are talking about it in a positive manner proves my point to me...


The fact that some kids are talking about it will not change gender inequality, just a short time ago they will have been talking about New Zealand and the tragedy that unfolded there. Today it will have been Japan's turn in the spotlight. Next week and next month it will be something else. Glib videos and car ads are for shallow people with all the depth of a puddle.

As to Lily Savage, aka Paul O'Grady, successful stand-up comedy is all about timing and communicating and connecting to an audience. You could have put any successful comic in the video, (Billy Connolly for example, just to name one that our friends across the Pond would have heard of), they would have made a better job of it than Craig whose performance left me unstirred.

Just as an aside, most of the jobs in the UK have been lost by Men, with the downturn in manufacturing, mining and engineering. Most of the jobs created have been in the service industries, supermarkets, call-centres etc that are largely staffed by women.

A recent European Court decision has declared it illegal for UK Insurers to offer cheaper car insurance to women than to men of the same age and background as gender discrimination. Men, in the UK at least, have to work longer to qualify for their pensions, and in general their life-expectancy is less than women.

Inequality is not a one-way street and it will not be addressed by actors trying to maintain a profile in the public eye to promote their work.

[Katja]

The fact that some kids are talking about it will not change gender inequality, just a short time ago they will have been talking about New Zealand and the tragedy that unfolded there. Today it will have been Japan's turn in the spotlight. Next week and next month it will be something else. Glib videos and car ads are for shallow people with all the depth of a puddle.

As to Lily Savage, aka Paul O'Grady, successful stand-up comedy is all about timing and communicating and connecting to an audience. You could have put any successful comic in the video, (Billy Connolly for example, just to name one that our friends across the Pond would have heard of), they would have made a better job of it than Craig whose performance left me unstirred.

Just as an aside, most of the jobs in the UK have been lost by Men, with the downturn in manufacturing, mining and engineering. Most of the jobs created have been in the service industries, supermarkets, call-centres etc that are largely staffed by women.

A recent European Court decision has declared it illegal for UK Insurers to offer cheaper car insurance to women than to men of the same age and background as gender discrimination. Men, in the UK at least, have to work longer to qualify for their pensions, and in general their life-expectancy is less than women.

Inequality is not a one-way street and it will not be addressed by actors trying to maintain a profile in the public eye to promote their work.

About insurance premiums I do have spme sympathy. Yet when it come to car insurance, companies assess risk. In this it is a fact that men and young men inparticular are much more likely to have accidents than women of the same age. Just as an isurance company offers no claims discount because of their assessment of risk, should they not be able to offer cheaper insurance for groups which are less of a liability? It seems not. The decision of the European court goes beyond car insurance, and while it may seem a fair and equitable judgement, it is much less fair and equitable than at first it appears.

Your claim that lost jobs have been lost by men simply does not hold water. It is true that as the UK's manufacturing sector evaporated, that men did suffer and men were the primary losers because men were the primary group employed. But we no longer have a large manufacturing base. We are talking about now. Now it is women who are suffering most because that is how the cuts are falling. Not only is women's employment falling faster than mens, womens pay rates are falling faster also. We are talking about now. Today. Not 30 years ago and more.

The pension age has been equalised, for better or worse. So that is a red herring. I agree it should have been equalised, but it has been equalised up to the men's retirement age not down to womens. The state retirement age is also being upped from 65.The state really does want its pint of blood, because people no longer have to retire at the official state retirement age. That will do the employment of youth a lot of good. Nor will it help keep down a wage bill. It certainly will not assist in bringing people into employment who are keen and imaginative. So your point is history and no longer factual. The fact that men live shorter lives may be discrimination, but it is a discrimination inflicted upon men by something other than human society.

[gloriacollins]

great words.. keep sharing this kind of news...i came to read a blog on topic " Essay on Gender (http://dissertationcompanyreviews.com/essays-on-gender.html)" which tells about how to promote gender equality.. So thought to share it here... i believe sharing is caring..:cool:

[bityme]

. . . does it promote gender equality? Here we differ. Yes it does.. merely by what it says and shows.. will it have a huge effect? Not really.. but just as one single small act often has little effect in terms of a whole campaign, it is but a usueful addition to everything else which is being done to foster gender equality . . .

A single small pebble may produce a ripple on the surface of the pond, but throw out enough pebbles and you will create a wave. When you want to effect change, particularly in society, it always starts slow and often takes generations to gather enough force to be effective. Kudos for Craig participating in the process.

Pappy